The present invention is a jewelry storage device for placement in a closet. The device may conveniently be used at home or when traveling.
Temporary storage of jewelry, particularly for travelers, presents a problem of balancing ready accessibility with a level of safety from theft. Many jewelry items, such as rings or earrings, are very small and can be difficult to find in a compartment of a suitcase or any other travel carrier. If placed in a pouch or hard-sided case, items may tumble against each other, causing scratches or other undesirable markings. Selecting particular items may require dumping out all the contents of the container, increasing the risk of damaging or losing a piece.
Prior art devices meet some needs in a limited way. U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,033 (Roegher) discloses a foldable, elongated carrying case for jewelry that incorporates a hook permitting it to be hung in a closet. Individual holders and catches permit attachment of items for easy selection and accessibility. However, this case design looks like it contains small items and would attract the attention of a thief rifling through a closet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,978 (to Carr) discloses a jewelry storage apparatus comprising one or more cards. Attached to the card are flexible retainer members, made of rubber or flexible plastic, which hold the jewelry. A cover over the entire card is available for travel use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,230 (to Mattox) discloses a jewelry holder adapted to be hung from a clothes hanger or other suitable rod by a pair of mounting straps. A flexible mesh sheet is suspended below the hanger and incorporates a plurality of fabric segments on which jewelry items may be attached.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,953 (to Carter) discloses a flexible screen or mesh for receiving the shaft or hook-like structures of jewelry items. The mesh is surrounded by a flexible fabric frame, permitting the assembly, with jewelry attached, to be rolled into a cylindrical configuration for storage or transport. The apparatus is adaptable to being suspended from a coat hanger.
The foregoing approaches alleviate the problem of a tangled jumble of jewelry in the bottom of a pouch. They also are foldable into a small volume and adaptable to hanging in a closet. They all suffer from the disadvantage that they are obviously carrying cases for small items, and thus would attract the attention of a thief searching the closet for valuables. It is therefore desirable to have a jewelry holder that keeps items separate, visible and accessible, that collapses to a small volume for packing, that protects items from scratching, and that looks like an ordinary article of clothing when hung in a closet.
The present invention is a jewelry holder designed to be inconspicuous in a closet. In one embodiment, the external structure is a piece of fabric material designed to resemble a blouse or sweater. The holder is designed to be hung from a standard type clothes hangar, and is closed in front using buttons, a zipper, or other fastening device. On the inside of the holder, a plurality of fabric tabs, cords, loops, ribbons or pockets is attached, and these devices can support, contain or otherwise hold jewelry items. When the holder is closed, it looks like just another piece of clothing. When the holder is opened it conveniently displays the contained jewelry, allowing easy selection and removal of items. Once pieces are selected, the outer surface is closed in front and the container is again camouflaged against the rest of the hanging clothing.